Editing Checklist, #15: The Final Touch

Ready for our final installment here?  Good.  Because this might just be the most important one.

The two most important lines in the book are the first line and the last line.  A wise author has pointed out: the first line sells your book.  The last line sells your next book.

Let's sell your next book.

- Does it end on Goldilocks Time (remember: not too early, not too late)?
- Does it match the tone of the rest of the book?
- Does it leave the reader feeling happy/satisfied/bummed the book is over?

Congrats!  You've finished with the Editing Checklists!  I hope they've helped you as much as they helped me.  My manuscript was total shit when I started this.  Now, I think I've got something I can be proud of.

Good luck!  See you on the shelves!

Editing Checklist, #14: Endings, Part 5

I can already hear you: "Jeez, is the book freaking over yet?"

Almost, Clarice.

Ah, the Resolution.  So clean, so simple.  It is exactly what it sounds like it is. 

Or is it?  Check this list to make sure your Resolution actually, you know, resolves your book.

- Are all the important issues resolved fairly and satisfyingly?
- Do both the h/h sacrifice something/change something for the sake of their love?
- Does the ending come about because of the h/h's actions, not through outside interference?
- Are heroic secondary characters fittingly repaid?
- Are villains punished proportionate to their crimes?
- Do the h/h confront any remaining emotional tension?
- Is the reader left convinced the h/h will still love each other in 5, 10, 50 years?

Editing Checklist, #13: Endings, Part 4

Whew!  See how many parts there are to an ending?  And we're not even done yet! 

The following component is specific to romance novels, so if you're writing something else, it might not apply to you.

The Declaration of Love.  This is kind of like the mini-climax in romance novels (heheh, that sounds like a bad pun).  It is crucial for the success of the hero/heroine's relationship that they both confess their feelings to each other.

- Do they say it on "Goldilocks Time" (not too early,  not to late)?
- Has this moment been built up to throughout the course of the novel?
- Do both the h/h actually verbalize their feelings?
- Does how they verbalize their feelings fit their characters (aka: someone who's been rough and ready throughout the book isn't going to suddenly write a Shakespearean sonnet at the end- unless you've already shown they are really the type of person to write Shakespearean sonnets.  But that's another matter.)?
- Is this moment sufficiently acknowledged as a milestone (no, "I love you.  How 'bout those Knicks?")?

Editing Checklist, #12: Endings, Part 3

So you've written your Black Moment.  All is bleak in your storyworld, your characters are doomed, and you have (perhaps) realized you need therapy.

Now comes the Switch, alternately known as the Climax.

By this point, emotions should be at fever-pitch.  Everything comes to a head.  This is where the hero/heroine resolve the main conflicts and share how they've grown/changed.

- Does this come off as the emotional high point of the book?
- Is the sharing sufficiently honest (and painful) to convince the reader the h/h take the relationship seriously?

Editing Checklist, #11: Endings, Part 2

Okay, so you've got the Build-Up (see Endings, Part 1) covered.  What comes next?  

The Black Moment is the point in the story where it appears "all is lost".  The situation is hopeless.  The guy won't get the girl.  The virus will spread and turn the entire human race into zombies.  You get the point.

The checklist here is pretty basic:

- Does all genuinely appear lost?
- Has the hero or heroine turned to walk away?

Answer "yes" to both of these?  Congratulations!  Your Black Moment is sufficiently bleak (incidentally, you might also want to seek therapy. Just saying.).  Stay tuned!

Editing Checklist, #10: Endings, Part 1

As anyone who's taken creative writing or literature classes already knows, books don't just end.  There are several components that make up the "ending" of a book, each a crucial element of bringing a story to a satisfying conclusion.

The first of those is the Build-Up.  This is the "beginning of the end"; it sets up the other components that come after it, and is an important part in making sure the ending makes sense and "feels" right.

- By now, do the readers believe in the characters?
- Do they identify with the heroine? (remember, I'm talking specifically about romances here; in other books, substitute the main protagonist)
- Is the two-step-forward, one-step-back process at a point where the hero/heroine are out of options?
- Does the pacing speed up?
   > short, inter-cut scenes
   > mini-cliffhangers
   > active prose (important throughout the book, especially important here)

Editing Checklist, #9: Love Scenes

So.  Sex.  There's a lot to cover here, so let's just dive right in, shall we?

- Does the sexual tension begin the moment the hero/heroine (h/h) meet?
- Is the scene foreshadowed?
- Does the scene occur at the right point in the story?
- Is there enough foreplay for the scene, the characters, and the story?
- Does the foreplay reveal as much about the h/h as the rest of the scene?

- Does the scene heighten tension/conflict?
- Are the characters (and readers) kept on edge?
- Do the h/h get too comfortable?
- Does the scene change the interaction between the h/h?
- Does that change show in the next scene?

- Do the h/h make love in character?
- Do the h/h make love with all five senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, sound)?
- Is there "deep POV"?
- Did you write the whole experience (sensory details, emotions, actions, thoughts)?
- Does the scene have rhythm?
- Do the words/sentences create the mood you want?

Possible Pitfalls To Avoid:
- Unintended repetition
- Anything about the writing (sentence structure, punctuation, vocabulary, etc.) that pulls you out of the scene
- The scene reads like an instruction manual
- The movements aren't physically plausible

Note: Love scenes= any expression of physical affection between the h/h

Make it hot!

Editing Checklist, #8: Conflict, Part 2

While emotional conflict is important, it needs to occur within a framework.  The external conflict- also known as "plot"- is that framework.  The plot moves the story along, while giving the emotional journey context.

- Is the timeline accurate and believable?
- Is the conflict introduced early in the book?
- Is it caused by forces outside the hero/heroine's control?
- Is it a single even that can be solved in one step (bad)?
- Do the hero/heroine have a good reason to stick around?

Editing Checklist, #7: Conflict, Part 1

The writing world used to give short shrift to emotional conflict, relying on plot to drive a story forward and keep readers interested.  That doesn't fly anymore.  Books that pay no attention to the emotional lives of its characters read as stilted and dry.  And in genres like romance (my soup du jour), the emotional conflict makes up the backbone of the story.

We'll get to external conflict later.  For now, here are some things to pay attention to when reviewing your story's internal conflict:

- Is it believable?
- Is it complicated enough to span the book, but not so complicated it can't be realistically solved?

- Does the characters' emotional journey follow a two-step-forward, one-step-back approach?l
- Does the tension increase with each emotional step?
- Does it get progressively harder for them to stay stuck?

- Is the turning point clear?
- Is the turning point realistic?
- Is the resolution realistic?

Editing Checklist, #6: Chapters & Scenes

This is more about structure, but structure is very, very important.  Are your chapters and scenes giving you the most bang for your ballpoint?

Scenes

- Does it start with something interesting?
- Does it have a clear point?
- Does the action drag out too long?
- Does it end with something intriguing?

Chapters

- Does it grab the reader's attention right away?
- Are there any long descriptive/introspective passages (that don't raise important questions)?
- Does it end with a cliffhanger?

First Chapter Specifics:
- Does it introduce the main characters?
- Are the h/h introduced in a humanizing way?
- Is there enough of the right kind of info for readers to form emotional attachments to the h/h (esp. the heroine)?
- Is there too much info (aka "info dump")?

Editing Checklist, #5: The Setting

No story occurs in a void.  Here are a few things to make sure your setting does your story proud!

- Does it provide context for the romance?
- Does it move the story forward?
- Does it convey emotion?
- Is it described sufficiently to give the reader a clear view of where they are?
- Is it described accurately?
- Do the descriptions enhance the story?
- Does it help reveal information about the characters?
   - demonstrate strengths
   - reveal weaknesses
   - allow them to grow
- Do the descriptions relate to the characters' experiences and POVs?
- Is it over-described?
- Is there "scenic overload"- is there too much emotional investment in the setting?

Editing Checklist, #4: The Beginning

Now that your characters are dealt with, it's time for mechanics.  Buckle up, people!

- Does the story have a hook?
- Does the opening line capture your style/tone and introduce the reader to your fictional world?
- Does your story start in the middle of the action?
- Does your story start with one of the two main characters?
- Do you give enough info about the main characters (especially the heroine) to make the reader care about them?
- Are a few positive traits introduced early on?
- Do the characters do something- ideally within the first chapter- that "characterizes" them?
- Do the hero/heroine (h/h) initially experience extra awareness, not overwhelming attraction?
- Does their first interaction effectively set the tone for the rest of the book?
- Is there info-dump (BADBADBADBAD- ahem. Sorry)?
- Can the reader empathize with the heroine?
- Does the beginning action showcase the characters and their situation?
Does the action start inside a character's point of view (to draw the reader in)?

Editing Checklist, #3: Secondary Characters

Because even if they're secondary, they're still important...

- Do they provide a sense of place and reality?
- Do they give context to the hero/heroine (h/h), and the story?
- Do they help move the plot forward?
- Do they provide crucial information?
- Do their physical descriptions paint a brief, accurate picture of who they are?
- Do they come across as real, individual people?
- Are there any secondary characters who steal too much attention away from the h/h?
- Are there any unnecessary secondary characters?
- If so, can they be combined with another character, or cut out entirely?

Editing Checklist, #2: The Hero

First let me apologize for not being as regular with this as I probably should be.  I'm trying to get better- really, I am!

That said, the first job of a writer is writing, or in my current case, editing.  So cut me a little slack.

Right!  I promised editing checklists, and I aim to deliver!  I compiled these from a wide variety of sources, and they've been hugely helpful for me as I ripped my novel to the bones, then rebuilt it into something (hopefully) respectable.  I hope someone else will find them equally useful.

I'm also curious: what does your editing process look like?  Do you ship your work out to a professional?  Do you do it yourself, and if so, are you as anal retentive about it as I am?  What has worked best for you?  What have you learned along the way?

Okay, enough stalling.

The Hero

- Does his name stand out?
- Are some of his strengths introduced before his weaknesses?
- Does he have quirks, contradictions, and layers?
- Does he have distinctive mannerisms?
- Does he make love in character?
- Does he talk like a real person?
- Does he talk like a man?
- Does he talk like an individual?
- Does he have internal issues that drive him?
- Is he strong- morally, intellectually, emotionally?
- Is he gorgeous?
- Is he driven to succeed in his work?

- Is his inner soft side visible to the heroine?
- Is he the heroine's equal?
- Do his strengths correspond to the heroine's weaknesses?
- Do his weaknesses correspond to her strengths?
- How vulnerable is he (can he cry)?
- Is he so sensitive he comes off as wimpy?
- Is he so strong he comes across as abusive?

- Does he have a complete background story?
- Does he react to current situations based on his experiences?
- Do his reactions stay consistent?
- Do his reactions make sense given his personality/ past?
- Does he grow throughout the story?
- Does he confront his issues/ beliefs at the end?
- Does he change enough to make a happy ending believable?

- What does the heroine see in him that makes her fall in love with him?
- Could you fall in love with him?

Editing Checklist #1: The Heroine

Note: these were written with a romance heroine in mind.  If you write other genres, I hope it will still be helpful, but you might not need all the questions.

- Does her name stand out?
- Is she attractive?
- Does the reader get a good/accurate physical picture of her (without going overkill)?
- Does she have a complete background story (even if not all of it makes it into the book)?
- Is she someone you can identify with ('cause if you can't, the reader probably won't be able to)?
- Does she talk like a real person?
- Does she talk like a woman?
- Does she talk like an individual?
- Does she make love in character?

- Is she complex (quirks, contradictions, layers)?
- Does her past inform everything she says, does, and decides?
- Does she have relate-able personality traits?
- Are those personality traits effectively shown?
- Are some of her strengths introduced before her weaknesses?
- Are the qualities that would make someone want to be friends with her shown (esp. important if, like me, your heroines tend to come off overly bitchy)?
- Are her emotional reactions consistent, except for when she's confronting her fears & beliefs?


- Do her strengths correspond to the hero's weaknesses?
- Do her weaknesses correspond to the hero's strengths?
- Is she convincingly attractive to the hero?
- As the book progresses, does she grow into a woman who can have a relationship with the hero?